It was the
unexpected outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) that landed Mao
Qun'an a new mission -- spokesman for the Ministry of Health.
And the new mission has brought lots of changes to his life and work.
"Honestly, being a spokesman is quite new to me; and full of challenge," says
the 40-year-old in an exclusive interview with China Daily.
Since last spring, as he grew into his job, most of Mao's spare time has gone
into learning how to be a good spokesman.
He certainly has the tools -- Mao graduated in medicine and has been in
charge of health-policy research and press releases in the general office of the
Ministry of Health for many years.
In the past, a spokesman was someone you saw on television; and the Ministry
of Health, along with the majority of central-government departments, had no
designated spokesperson, says Mao.
Also, the ministry's information release was passive and unsystematic.
"We can say that our spokesman mechanism was expedited by SARS," Mao
notes.
To meet the suddenly-increased demand for information, the Ministry of Health
designated some officials including Mao to issue epidemic information every
afternoon from the end of April.
However, during the SARS period, "we were like announcers making only
broadcasts of the latest number of SARS cases, instead of answering questions or
revealing other details," Mao recalls.
Based on his experience during the SARS period, and for better dissemination
of information about administrative affairs and various health news, Mao was
appointed the spokesman for the Ministry of Health in July.
He attended a five-day spokesperson training programme -- in which he says he
learned a lot -- conducted by the State Council Information Office in September,
the first such session for various departments at central and provincial level.
As a spokesman, Mao says, he now pays more attention to news analyses and
awareness Backing him up is a team in the information office of the ministry.
"We are now trying to give the public a clearer picture in a timely fashion,"
he adds.
For example, many more details of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in China have been
revealed since last July when SARS subsided in the country; and it has helped
that the central leadership, including top leaders such as Premier Wen Jiabao,
has focused unprecedented attention to the victims of the deadly disease.
As a new mechanism, the spokesperson system faces some difficulties, says
Mao.
"Our spokesmen need more training; and an effective information-reporting
system must be established or improved to support their work."
Learning from the SARS epidemic, China has established epidemic- and other
health-matter reporting system in the past year, which greatly benefits Mao's
work.
And the Ministry of Health held a three-day training session in October for
more than 100 spokesperson from health authorities at the provincial level,
hospitals and disease-control centres.
